I was only there for the 18th...but man what a great time.
I was having a blast. It was pouring when we first got to the track and it wasn't looking to be that good of a day. But it stopped raining just about 9 and they opened the track up, of course after going out and drying the track a "bit" with the blower. Still puddles everywhere and the surface was slick as hell. I went out first session to contribute to the drying affect...but after 1 or 2 laps of sliding all over the place I decided to come back in...didn't want to go down first session of the day. It dried nicely over the next couple sessions and right about when the track was completely dry and everyone was doing good, the sky opened up again. -mad-
It downpoured for about an hour. We took lunch then [it was around 12:30] so it wasn't as bad. Some people packed up and went home thinking it was gonna rain all day. After it stopped raining, they opened that track again and we went back out. I was feeling good, after having a little wet practice earlier, I decided to practice my controlled slides.
They called a riders meeting and decided to make it a completely open track [no sessions, get on and off as you please] so we could get the most time in before getting rained on again. A little while longer and the track is completely dry and everyone is just railing. I was still having a little too much fun from sliding around in the rain powering out of turns, that I wasn't thinking completely -cough- and yanked open the throttle coming out of 8 and got the bike to flick side to side. Ryan was right behind me and said I left a nice "blackie". It felt so smooth...I wasn't spooked at all. I knew it was coming and just stayed in it.
The day was great, I was a few seconds off my pace, but the time didn't really matter because I was having a great time riding out there with everyone and having some good battles with a few...back and forth passing each other almost every other corner. Great time.
I had one mishap. I went down coming out of T13. -shock-
Actually it was completely out of T13...on pit row. Yea, me and Ryan had just pulled in to take a break and I wanted to stop real quick to see if he still wanted to do a couple more laps...so I got on the brakes real hard before making the right on to Pit In and went right over some sand that the rain had washed onto pit lane, while coming to a stop. Well, the tire didn't handle that to well and slid out and the bike threw me into a roll onto pit lane. I was fine, only going about 3-5 mph and basically just fell over. Ryan was right behind me and watched the whole thing. lol Neither one of us could stop laughing. lol
I picked the bike up and rode it back into the pits. No damage at all except for a scratch on the frame slider and a little scratch on the upper. I can only image how funny it looked. I hope someone got a picture of me. I'll pay some good money for that shot. lol
If that's the worst that could happen to me on such a wet day and for as much fun as I was having...I'll take it any day.
Ryan/rfrisco90 was breaking in the new bike [yes, another one] and making sure its all up to spec before his first race next month. Lookin damn good on the bike and throwing that thing around like its going outta style. DAMN that paint is bright. [I want mine like that.] I think I'm gonna have to get me a 636...that thing was fun as hell to ride. [oh yea, he let me ride it.]
Kevin/champ was doing real good for just coming off the Injured Reserve list. That was until his tranny had other plans. Lets just say he is back on the IR list.
Craziest thing though...I come around the back straight and there is Champ standing in the grass on the right side of the track going into T3 wondering what the hell happened. I'm looking for his bike too wondering what he's doing...and as I continue through T3...I see his bike, on the left hand side of the track, basically near T4 almost in the drink. How the hell that happened is a story only he can tell.
Mike/Paz...what can you say? Holy fcuking shit!! What else can you say?!? He gets the award for MOST IMPROVED! He was throwing that R6 around like it was nothing. He passed me once coming outta T6 going so BLOODY fast, I probably looked like I was stopped -- and as he pulled away and it felt as if I was going backwards. I didn't know it, but from the pictures, me and him were together a lot. I guess he was just studying my lines so he knew where to pass me.
Damn, I need to get me a smaller bike.
Mike/SuperMoto7 was looking the best I'd seen him yet on that Moto. Carrying a lot more corner speed and wheeling the hell outta that thing. :squid: When I have some extra cashflow laying around one of these days, Id like to get me one of them bikes.
Him and his Moto buddies were just tearing it up. It was funny, I was heading out onto the track first session and I heard them say over the walkie talkie..."damn there's a lot of motards here today"
Dave/SuperDave was riding good too. I didn't get to see him that much, but every time I did he was smooth and steady. For only being his second or third track day, he is very smooth. A lot better than I was at that same time.
Oh -- one more! On the way out of the track...I did another bone headed move.
I was waving bye to Dave and Hope while following Ryan, and Ryan stopped and I wasn't looking so I ran into him. -doh- The worst part is I rearended his truck -- with his truck. He loaned me his Nissan pickup to haul my bike up, since he came up the day before with his Chevy pick up.
Ryan yells back at me..."Hey, whatta trying to do, wreck both my trucks?!?" lol Sorry again. We'll get that tailgate taken care of.
Another great track day [regardless of all the "minor" mishaps] to go down in the books.
CIAO
Here's some pics. Post up more if you got some too. [Look at the water on the track!]
[It won't let me load all the pics...see them here - http://www.streetknights.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6916]